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Hillcrest Fever
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FEVER Your 24/7 local connection FREE
29 March 2016
Wildlife in CRISIS >> Organisations rally to safeguard the animals KALISHA NAICKER kalisha.naicker@media24.com
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PPER Highway conservancies have recently had many reports of wildlife in crisis - duiker being savaged by dogs, dead duiker openly carried by poachers in both Inanda and Kassier Roads, duiker seen frantically trying to get into fencedoff areas at housing estates along Inanda Road and duiker dying after being caught in fencing. While there is a very necessary trend for secure living within the walled and gated housing estates, there has been no plan to provide alternative measures for all the animals that are now misplaced. Speaking to the Fever, Trish Edwards of the Assagay Wildlife Watch said the desperate need to find safe open spaces for foraging and also escape routes when they are under threat is going unnoticed. “This leaves wildlife very vulnerable to poaching. Sadly the situation worsens as the built-up and fenced off areas are continuously being expanded as new development takes place. “It is easy to look into these fenced communities, especially those along Inanda Road, and be enthralled by the beauty of these seemingly green oasis. They are most-
ly planted up with indigenous vegetation supporting biodiversity and this is regarded by many environmentalists as a huge positive. “However, should you drive past with a new sense of awareness, you will see that all this indigenous beauty is surrounded by kilometre upon kilometre of fencing, all of it keeping the wildlife on the outside. An example is an estate of along Inanda Road, a fenced off area of over 200 hectares. “Until these huge estates consider the detrimental impact they have on the survival of wildlife and consider making some allowances by perhaps leaving open spaces on each of the two sides of these vast tracts of the estate, the wildlife will become more vulnerable and have little chance of surviving. “It would just take just one developer to start a new trend, to have a wider vision and to build on this concept. Should the next development adjacent do the same, suddenly you would have a double open space for a greenbelt and sanctuary. With residents using these areas for walks and bird watching, it would ensure that snares were not set,” said Edwards.
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